Robbie Forgotten

7

The circling airship drew attention around town as it descended and landed in the little field just outside of Lazy Park. Stephanie, Ziggy, and Stingy came running as the dirigible touched down and the steady whir of the propellers quieted. The ship's door swung open and a platform shuttled down from the deck to allow the laughing and chatting men inside to disembark.

"Sportacus!" the children cried. Sportacus smiled at the kids and waved. Just behind the hero Robbie's own smile shrank to the slightest quirk of the lips and he straightened up, stifling the last bit of a chuckle.

"Is something the matter with your airship?" Ziggy asked. "Why did you land?"

"Nothing's wrong," Sportacus said. He gestured back towards Robbie, waving for the other man to come forward. The kids looked curiously at Robbie and the man fidgeted on the spot. "I'm just dropping Robbie off here so he can get washed up."

"He sure could use it," Stingy muttered, and the kids all giggled. Sportacus waited for them to settle down while Robbie frowned a bit.

"You'll take him to your house, Stephanie, won't you?" Sportacus asked, looking to the pink girl.

"That's right," Stephanie said. She stepped towards the platform and reached to take Robbie's hand but the man sidestepped her grasp and scampered down the ramp on his own. She giggled again and followed him. Robbie looked back over his shoulder towards Sportacus.

"You're not coming?" he asked.

"As long as the airship is landed I can take care of some maintenance," Sportacus said. "Then I have to do my training. But I'll catch up with you later. Bye, guys!"

Before Robbie could say anything else Stephanie managed to grab the man by the wrist and pulled him along. He stumbled into a walk with the kids and found the little girl's grip was stronger than it looked.

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Trixie pushed herself lazily down the sidewalk on her scooter and craned her head around, looking for something to do. She almost scooted right past Stephanie's house but doubled back, looking again. Sitting out front were Stephanie, Stingy, and Ziggy, wearing the biggest grins she had ever seen.

"Hey guys," Trixie called as she rolled down the walkway towards them, "what are you doing?"

"Shhh!" Stingy shushed the pigtailed girl and halted her in her tracks.

"What's going on?" Trixie asked in a quieter voice. The three kids pointed in unison up at the window under which they sat. It was completely fogged over and streaked with condensation— the bathroom, currently occupied. "I don't get it, what's so funny?"

"Just listen," Stephanie whispered, almost a squeak, and the boys sniggered and quieted themselves all at once.

Trixie walked the rest of the way across the yard and removed her helmet. All that could be heard was the running water from the shower. She put her hands on her hips. "Is this some kind of joke?" she asked.

"Shhh!" Stingy hissed again. Trixie opened her mouth to give Stingy a real piece of her mind...

"Wash-wash-wash, I love to shower..." a deep voice crooned, audible even through the windowpanes.

Trixie's mouth remained open and her eyes widened. She gawked between the foggy window and the rest of the kids hunkered down beneath it, their faces all red and screwed up with the effort it took not to burst out laughing.

"Is that—?" Trixie asked, unable to fully form the question.

"Wash-wash-wash, bathe for an hour!" Robbie trilled, yodeled, and sang over the hissing water.